Molly Make-Believe

In the chill of a 1911 New York winter, Carl Stanton lies bedridden, his body wracked by rheumatism and his mind haunted by a terse letter from Cornelia. The correspondence, crisp and formal, reveals a love strained by pride, promises, and the social expectations of the era. As snow swirls outside his window, Carl grapples with the ache of unreciprocated affection, the sting of Cornelia’s restrained words, and the loneliness that settles like frost on the city streets.

The novel paints a vivid portrait of early‑twentieth‑century life, from bustling messengers and obstreperous fox‑terriers to the quiet desperation of a man confined to his room. Through Carl’s inner monologue and the stark, almost theatrical exchanges with those around him, readers glimpse the fragile dance between desire and decorum, and the ways a single piece of paper can ignite both hope and despair.